A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?
-The Chosen

3/02/2007

An Excellent Wife and a Gracious God

Recently, in my New Testament class, we were discussing Paul’s comment that it is, “better,” to be single, as he was. The professor affirmed that some are called to singleness, and can be more effective as a result. However, he also pointed out that he was much more effective in his service to God, “in every way,” thanks to his wife. In other words, a person’s most effective service to God comes by following His will for their life, be it single or married.

That has been so true for me today. I am working really hard to be excellent in all my classes, but today I realized I had forgotten to do an assignment, and as a result will have some points docked when I turn it in. I came home extremely annoyed, which quickly spiraled into a depressed frustration. I hated my forgetfulness, my weakness, and my inability to process information as quickly as my peers. I didn’t want to eat, or talk, or even apply myself to finishing the assignment.

Thankfully, Samantha patiently waited out my bad mood. She suggested that we call our friends Dave and Lindsay, knowing that talking to them always makes me feel happy. I had a soothing talk with Dave, which calmed me and reminded me how much I enjoy seeing people grow in faith. Samantha also made me chocolate-covered strawberries, which would make anyone happy!

Later, she shared her thoughts with me regarding one of our favorite books, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. If you’re a longtime reader, you might remember that this book helped be greatly just after my mom died about a year ago. You can see that post here. Samantha’s post is better, though. You can find it here. You’ll see that the book helped continue to transfer her worldview from one of worrying and needing to be, "the provider," to one of recognizing her God-given role in our family. It was a deeply humbling and yet exciting blessing of God to watch Him do this work, which I have desired to see for a while now.

Conversations about this topic kick-started my excitement and vision for the local church. Samantha has been encouraging me to write about my vision for a local church. I’m not sure if I’ll do a paper on it (when I have the time) or put it into a series of blog posts, but I think she’s right that I should start putting my heart on paper, as it were.

Anyway, the result of all this is that I’m back to work, trying to supplement the heart God has given me for His work with the knowledge that will make it more effective. I’m so thankful to God for my wife’s love and encouragement, for the opportunity to be at a seminary where I can learn so much from so many godly mentors, and for his constant love and teaching and discipline. What a failure I would be without a loving Heavenly Father!

Once again, I must call upon my friends, the Puritans, to dignify with words those emotions I cannot fully express.

A wife when she marries a husband gives up her will to him; so does every Christian when he is married to Christ; he gives up his will and all that he has to Him, and says, "Lord, I have nothing, but if Thou callest for it, Thou shalt have it again."-Richard Sibbes